Mohammad Ali Baryalei, Australia's most senior Islamic State member, is believed to have been killed in fighting in the Middle East.The fugitive Australian terrorist has recruited dozens of Australians onto the battlefield in Syria and Iraq.

An unmanned Antares rocket explodes seconds after lift-off from a launch pad in Virginia, marking the first accident since NASA turned to private operators to deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott urges Australia's most influential business leaders to drive a new wave of economic reform and help convince Labor and the states to join the patriotic front he calls "Team Australia".